Who Should Hire?
To the editor:
We have been watching the progress of town meeting warrant Article 42 to amend the charter by requiring the town manager to consult with the library trustees before appointing the library director. The town manager, Mr. Tangeman, has chosen to insert an editorial-like paragraph that makes it clear he would prefer that this petition fail.
We question the appropriateness of his putting his thumb on the scale when it is a matter for the voters to decide. We also find his warnings that the library trustees could run amok with the sense of their own power ludicrous.
We believe the hiring of the library director should be in the hands of our duly elected trustees. This system works well in the school department, where the elected school committee hires our superintendent of schools.
The fact that Mr. Tangeman goes to such lengths to fight the input of library experts illustrates why our board of trustees is so important. A healthy library has many voices. While other departments have had fluctuating staff and services, the Truro Public Library has steadily delivered high-quality services to all of us.
We believe that democracy in Truro can only be helped by the passage of Article 42 at town meeting on Tuesday, April 25.
Ann and Richard Courtney
Truro
Leash Those Dogs
To the editor:
Bravo to Bruce Monteith [“Dogs as Family Members,” letter to the editor, March 30]. Yes, not all of us love your dogs.
I can’t count how many times an unleashed dog has run up to me, nipping at my heels, while the owner says, “Don’t worry, he/she doesn’t bite” or “is friendly.”
I can’t count how many times dog owners have walked their unleashed dogs on the beach before the 6 p.m. start time allowed for dogs during the season. If I say something to the owner regarding the violation, the response is always rude, and the dogs remain on the beach.
Why are dogs allowed on the beach during the season or at any time? Do people think that scooping up the dog poop in the sand is completely clean, with no residue, for us barefoot beachgoers to confidently step or lie in? And as for dog pee on the sand: when was the last time you saw a dog owner scooping up the pee?
The argument about dogs and leashes is really a “no-brainer.” Of course, dogs should be leashed and not allowed on the wonderful beaches of Truro.
Stuart Winneg
North Truro and Concord, Calif.
Worried About Whales
To the editor:
Re “The Whales and the Wind Farms” by Capt. Rathgeber [April 6, page A3]:
I worry about contamination of the ocean, too. I worry about the overwhelming plastic pollution. I worry about the million gallons of radioactive water from the Pilgrim nuclear plant that Holtec has been trying to dump into Cape Cod Bay.
I worry about the whales. In addition to their being caught up in fishing nets and lines, shipping traffic has increased, making deadly collisions and noise pollution more alarming. Vineyard Wind monitors the whales during construction so they can stop making noise when the whales are in the vicinity. But the most serious threat to the whales is the climate crisis. They are in a forced migration to find food and new breeding grounds. Expediting clean energy and ending pollution would surely help.
I agree with Capt. Rathgeber that there’s a rampant disinformation campaign that has delayed clean energy progress and promoted the use of polluting fossil fuels. Follow the cleanest path — offshore wind is helping around the world.
Jan Kubiac
Hyannis
